Environmental and stoichiometric controls on microbial carbon‐use efficiency in soils

Carbon (C) metabolism is at the core of ecosystem function. Decomposers play a critical role in this metabolism as they drive soil C cycle by mineralizing organic matter to CO(2). Their growth depends on the carbon-use efficiency (CUE), defined as the ratio of growth over C uptake. By definition, high CUE promotes growth and possibly C stabilization in soils, while low CUE favors respiration. Despite the importance of this variable, flexibility in CUE for terrestrial decomposers is still poorly characterized and is not represented in most biogeochemical models. Here, we synthesize the theoretical and empirical basis of changes in CUE across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, highlighting common patterns and…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy
• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture
• DO
  Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
• BA
  Biological and Environmental Research